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D. L. BEHNCKE.

EQUALIZER FITTING FOR AIRPLANE WIRES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26. 1919.

'1 ,322,868, Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

' DAVID L. BEHNGKE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.-

EQUALIZER-FITTING roe AIRPLANE-wines.

Specification of Letters 1?atent. Patented N 25, 1919,

Application filed April 26, 1919. Serial No. 292,819.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID L. Bur-menu, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Equalizer-Fittings for Airplane-Wires, of which the following is a specification.

Considerable difiiculty has been experienced in roperly tensioning the wires which connect the wings of airplanes. This is especially true of the flying wires which are usually arranged in pairs. Not only is it difficult to equalize the tension of these wires but however carefully they may be adjusted before a flight is begun the stresses and strains of flying result in more or less stretching of the wires and thus the tension becomes unequal. When the tension on the wires becomes unequal the strains and stresses may be applied beyond the factor of safety and result in breaking a wire which may not only damage the airplane but it may result in a serious accident.

The object of my invention is to provide a fitting for airplane wires of simple construction and equipped with means for equalizing the tension of the flying wires so that they will be constantly maintained at an even tension.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 shows the fitting applied to the lower wing of an airplane;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; 1

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the fitting comprises a base 5 of suitable'size which is fastened by bolts 6, or other suitable means, to the wing centrally disposed spacedlugs 8 to receive the socket member 9 of spar 10, the socket member being pivotally connected to the base by a pin 11 which passes through the lugs and the socket member. An angularly projecting ear 12 is provided at one side of the base for the landing wire 13 which is pivotally connected to the ear by a pin 14.. A similar ear 15 is provided at another side the line 4-4:

7. This fitting is provided with.

of the base for a drift wire 16 which is pivotally connected to the car by the pin 17 At another side of the base there are two parallel ears 18 in which an equalizer bar 19 is pivoted by pin 20. The. flying wires 21 are pivotally connected by pins 22 to the ends of the equalizer at an equal distance on each sideof the in 20. The equalizer has a curved edge 19 and the base 5 is provided with shoulders 28, these shoulders being preferably formed by a curved surface on the base corresponding to the curved edge 19 of the equalizer.

All of the wires are provided with turnbuckles 24 and these turn buckles are adjusted to properly tension the various wires which is determined largely by twangingv the wires in a familiar manner. The equalizer provides for more accurately tensioning the very important flying wires which carry the weight of the ship while flying. 'As before stated, there is always the possibility present of the wires stretching to a greater or less extent and it is a known fact that the forward of a pair of fiying wires will stretch more than the other one, probably due to greater vibration in traveling through the air. If no means is provided for equalizing the strain on a pair of flying wires and one should become tensioned more than the other from any cause it is liable to break, thereby throwing a greater strain on its companion wire and cause it to break also and result in damage to the ship and injury to the pilot. The equalizer of my improved fitting will overcome any unequal tensioning of the fly ing wires and prevent such accidents as I have heretofore described.

The curved edge of the equalizer cooperating with the of the base provide for a limited movement of the equalizer relative to the base on the pivot pin 20.

I claim:

1. The combination with a pair of flying wires, of a fitting for the purpose described comprising a base having a pair of parallel ears, and an equalizer bar pivoted midway between its ends in said ears and pivotally connected at its ends to said wires.

2. The'combination with a pair of flying wires, of a fitting for the purpose described comprising a base having a pair of parallel ears, an equalizer bar pivoted midway becurved surface and shoulders tween its ends in said ears and pivotally connected at its 'ends tofsaid Wires, and

shoulders en the base opposite the ends of the equalizer bar to limit the pivotal movement of said bar. 1 r

3. The combination With a pair of flying Wires, of a fitting for the purpose described comprising a base having a pair of parallel ears, an equalizer bar pivoted midway between its ends in said ear siand pivotally c0n- 7 nectedat its ends to said Wiresand having a" enrvedlower edge, and a curved surface on the. base eoi'respondlng' with and disposed epposite'to the curved lower edge of the 7 equalizer bar toilimit the pivotal movement 1:3

. M. KIDDIE. 

